Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-18
ARMY TOPICS.
The fREEcH AND GERMAN sYsTEEs
COMPARED
The Infantry and Cavalry CT the Two
Countries-BoElanger's Strength
with the People.
rParls Letter.l

Paris Letterl
NJ. Laisant, deputy of the Depart
ment Of the Seine. has recently pub
lishod a pamphlet, in which, under the
title "Iourquoi ct comment Ie uls
Eoulaneistc, be Dives his reasons Tor
his consistent support and defence Of
the late Minister Of War. The Bou-
hanger situation IS simply this: Less
noise is made about General Boulan-
GERS personality than heretofore, his
well-adv.sed friends having finally su,
c,eded in convincing the "blathcr-
sixties that they were doing
harm 10 their idol with their
noise, and that if they wanted him
back again in the rue st. Dominique,
it was not by woodworking that his r.
installation could be managed. And
so, instead Of brawling in the streets,
a steady, quiet but vigorous propaglu-
da has become the tactics Of the Bon
ianqists, by which the influence of the
Cabinet Is undermined among the
masses and q feeling of popular dis
content created which will be strong
enough to force the elect of the nation
who SIT at the Palace Bourbon to obey
the orders of their electors, with
whom, if they be stiG-necked, they
are sure to lose all confidence anil
compromise their position at the
next general elections, which,
though constitutionally and regu-
laIly are only to be held in 1889, may
he held a great deal sooner, as parlia-
mentary dissolution is extremely likely.
By the admission even of that most re-
spectacle newspaper, IL icmps, the
Wolk Of concentration OF the republi-
can parties, of which there are half n
dozen, has made little Roadway. and it
is hard to see how NJ. Rouvier can
unite a compact majority at the autumn
session unless, possibly, by offering
such concessions TO the Rights as will
secure their adhesion-a dangerous ex-
pertinent, after all, as it must give
color to the charge already general Of
"truckling TO the reactiOnaries. VI.
Rouyier's Cabinet is not on bed OF
roses, and the bitterness of attack on
the part of Bouanger's enemies is proof
of their fear OF the man whom they
know is destined finally to return to
power more powerful than ever.
". Laisant, in his thirty-one pages,
is the echo OF the sentiments of three
fiitLs Of the French population when
lie says: i am n Boulaugist because
NY intimate conviction, based upon
scrupulous observation during the more
ilan twelve months of Office Of Gene
nal Boulanpcr my sincere conviction,
in short, is that from the day Of his ac-
ceptancc If the ministry until the day
that he left be never ceased to turn all
his irGcfatgahlc attention TO the sub
Jet Of rational defence, and in this Io
displayed an amount of activity and of
working energy of which none OF his
predecessors had in the same degree
stt tic example " This sums up every
thing and eApliins the hold which, J |
maintain, theeXAc ot ClomOnt-Fermnl |
has got upon the hearts Of The
French Teope. and which General Eer
!Cn vlli never get, although ne is are
spectacle and painsiaiing officer. who
vii 90 his best % execute, though Ee
may never initiate anything. Still, rs
Others have prepared, he may carry
out tie task, and be has told the cadets
at the FWtamcbloau School OF Appli-
cation, and through them the public,
what is 90 he expected from The two
military bills just voted, one OF which
proposes au increase in the cavalry, the
other O. complete reorganization OK the
Iu!aDtIE where "ycritable m!tIcs of
instruction and combat wiil be subst-
tUtod Cor mere skeleton companies and
lattalions, and, instead Of the groups
Of lattalons, without cohesion, now
forming the Rarrisons of our firstline
icuIcsscs, genuine compact regiments
will lie constituted ready to take the
field as unitios at twenty-four hours
notice"
At present the French infantry num-
lors IA regiments, each OF four bat
talions OF four companies (inc) and
thirty lattalions Of foot chassculs Qight |
iniaItrN). Each line regiment AMI
cach Chassour battalion has IFS depot,
composed Of two companies for the
FIST, and of one company for the Sc
cond, Which multiplicity Of companies
so reduces Their several electives that |
the education Of the officers and non
commissioned officers IS incomplete;
both are in the habit Of commanding !
groups interior, numerically, to what |
they would be on war footing, aud |
the logical consequence must be |
a general embarrassment, Another |
grave Inconvenience which might be- |
come a serious danger in the event Of |
war is the disproportion for the COM
panics of infantry after mobilization |
between their permanent effective and |
the number OF rcseryists to be incOrp0. |
rated. At present an infantry compa- !
ny has never more than from ~ 10 80 |
men in It's ranks, and rarely more than !
20, when deduction Is made Of men on |
fmlough, in the hospital, &c. Now,
as Oh q war footing, each company, by |
tie addition Of the reseryists, IS to be- |
bought up to go men, the sollity OF
it's resistance 10 an enemy's first shock |
might be compromised. The new law
affords a remedy TO this evil which
bas long been deplorcd. AL the de-
rot companies OF the infantry
nd chasseurs and the Fourth bat |
talon OF the first are to be done away |
with, in all SJ4 companies, and, a. q
computation, Is regional regiments,
rtprtserting 2lG companies, are to be
created, while the average number al
ways with the colors is to be fixed at
lt5 men. The new method does not
establish an absolute equilibrium be
tween the permanent and reserve ele-
ments, which the Germans manage by
making the peace effective normally OF
l2j men, but it diminishes the dispro-
portion. The 10 regional regiments
contemplated can be organized on the
same basis-three battalions, each
OF 1000 men, to be doubled in
case of war, when they will be
sent to the frontier. The pro-
posed reform has thus double aim
the strengthening OF all the infantry
companies, and the possibility of at
once putting into the field 10 the first
line lG2 instead of IA regiments, or,
in all, 4S6 battalions, plus 30 bat
talions of chasscurs and q bat
talions OF African troops, or $40 bat
talions, each Of 1000 men, which,
as the fourth battalion, are to be re-
formed Immediately after the declara-
ton Of hOstilities giving grand total |